David Carter wished he had listened to his caddy - after missing out yesterday on a new course record at the Compaq European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall.
A bogey at the last hole cost Carter the course record in the first round of the European Tour event near Hexham, Northumberland.
Carter, however, leads by one from Peter O'Malley while Paul McGinley leads the Irish challenge in third place after a five under par 67. Padraig Harrington is on one under 71, the same mark as Darren Clarke with Philip Walton and John McHenry on level par 72.
After a near-perfect performance, Carter, who fought back to top flight competition last year after brain surgery, missed the green with his second shot to the 18th and had to settle for a bogey five to finish on seven under-par 65.
That equalled the record set by Ross Drummond when the tournament was first staged in 1996, and matched the following year by six-times European Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie.
Carter admitted afterwards he should have listened to caddy Cliff Picking's advice.
"I had 190 yards to the hole and I was trying to leave it short of the pin. Cliff said it was a six iron and I did not believe I could hit it there with a six, took a five and pulled it."
"Sometimes he's wrong and I'm right and sometimes it's the other way around, and I was definitely wrong on that today."
With three top 10 finishes in his last three tournaments, Carter is creeping back to the form which saw him win his first European Tour event - last year's Murphy's Irish Open after a play-off - and partner Nick Faldo as England won the World Cup of Golf for the first time.
"I've played well for a while now and my putting was superb," said Carter, who had 29 puts in his round.
The early pacesetter was Peter O'Malley who, after going out in 34 with three birdies, came home in confident style to post an overnight score of 66, just a shot behind Carter.
With David Lynn and Paul McGinley five-under-par tying for third position, the early starters produced the better results.
But the pair were joined from the afternoon session by Challenge Tour rookie David Park. Park, with two successive birdies, moved to four-under-par after 12 holes. Then he bogeyed the next hole before producing birdies on the 15th and 17th for his score of 67.
Trinidad and Tobago's Stephen Ames, unable to obtain a visa to play in the United States until last month, fired a six-under par 65 in Harrison, New York, yesterday to lead the PGA Buick Classic.
Ames, competing in only his third event of the year, lives in Calgary, Canada. A dispute at a border crossing led to Ames being denied US entry, forcing him to practise inside rather than on chilly Canadian courses.
New Zealand's Frank Nobilo was one stroke off the pace and American Jim Carter was two back in the chase for $450,000 at the $2.5 million event at Westchester Country Club.
Nobilo, who has missed the cut in half of his 14 events this year, recorded his best round of 1999 with a 66. Without a win in 12 tour seasons, Carter celebrated his 38th birthday with a 67. "That is not too bad of a birthday present," he said.
